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Pennsylvania has made progress on many of the recommendations in
Prescription for PA – Governor Rendell’s comprehensive blueprint
for improving access, quality and affordability of health care.
Among the most notable accomplishments are:
- Enacting the country’s toughest legislation to reduce the
state’s $3.5 billion in unnecessary health care spending
resulting from health care acquired infections.
- Redesigning the way care is delivered to individuals with
chronic conditions in the nation’s most cutting edge and comprehensive initiative.
- Ensuring that health care practitioners are permitted to
practice to the full extent of their training, in order to better use medical resources.
- Reducing medical malpractice claims by half since 2003 and
reducing the cost medical malpractice insurance.
- Allowing parents to keep dependent children on their health insurance polices at their expense until the children turn 30.
- Enacting a statewide indoor smoking ban.
- Prohibiting health care providers to charge for never events.
- Allowing employees of small businesses who lose their jobs to continue receiving their health insurance at their expense for up to nine months through expansion of federal COBRA coverage.
- Creating the Pennsylvania Center for Health Careers and the Health Careers Leadership Council to address health care workforce issues, including shortages and lack of diversity. The Council is an initiative of the Pennsylvania Workforce Investment Board.
In the coming year, we will continue to press for:
The Governor’s goal is that every resident of the commonwealth
have access to the quality affordable health care they want,
need and deserve.
Continuing our efforts to make health care more transparent we
have compiled a list of resources providing cost and quality
information. Check it out here
Need help now? There are many health care services and programs
available to you and your family whether you have health
insurance or not. Many of them are free (if you meet certain
income requirements) or the amount of the charge is based upon
your income. Check it out here
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Edward G. Rendell, Governor
